Withered vines, old trees, twilight crows.
Mountains and plains were blanketed in snow. A dilapidated, broken thatched cottage sat amidst the snowy field, standing out like a stain on white paper, conspicuous to the extreme.
In the next second, a breeze blew past.
Creak...
Accompanied by a soft sound, the door of the thatched cottage was moved by the cold wind, faintly revealing the interior—a space of quiet, profound darkness.
If someone were standing outside looking in at this moment, they would be surprised to find they could see almost nothing. All that entered their vision was darkness. Only a cultivator with sufficiently high cultivation base and Dao comprehension might faintly discern what seemed to be an ancient bronze lamp placed within the dark.
Thud!
In the next second, the door of the thatched cottage seemed to gain intelligence. Ignoring the harassment of the cold wind, it slammed shut, remaining steady without another sound.
Phew...
A heavy breathing sound drifted leisurely through the dim room. Then, a pair of eyes opened, revealing a look full of mirth, and even a bit of smugness.
That gust of cold wind... was looking for me, wasn't it?
Lu Yang did not speak aloud. At a time like this, talking to oneself was most taboo; thinking in one's heart was enough. Speaking would only leave corresponding traces between heaven and earth.
He's anxious. Haha, he's anxious.
For this thatched cottage imbued with profound wonders, everything happening to it inevitably had a corresponding concept in reality.
For instance, that gust of cold wind that nearly blew open the door just now was a sensory response on the conceptual level. Fundamentally, it was someone using great spiritual power to search the heavens and scour the earth, inspecting karma in an attempt to find the things hidden within the house. The tightly closed door symbolized the result of this matter—
Nothing was found.
However, this was normal. After all, this thatched cottage could be called Lu Yang's masterwork, efficiently utilizing the legacy left by Hong Yun.
This place was originally a secret location opened up by Hong Yun at his peak.
Compared to me, Hong Yun's control over [Overturned Lamp Flame] was quite passable. This secret location also utilized the Dao Fruit profound wonder of [Overturned Lamp Flame].
On this basis, I optimized it.
Using the formations here, I concentrated all the [Overturned Lamp Flame] profound wonders I seized onto this thatched cottage, adding restrictions in exchange for greater power.
[Driving Night]!
The profound darkness inside the cottage was the manifestation of this profound wonder, pushing the concept of "Hidding Secret" to the extreme. The price was that Lu Yang could not leave the cottage; once he left, all arrangements would instantly disintegrate. The benefit was that as long as he didn't leave, this was the safest place.
Simply put, this is a ritual.
Hong Yun... don't look at him like that now, but back when he was [Perfected Lord Heavenly Fortune Bright Light], he was quite formidable with [Overturned Lamp Flame].
Poor Hong Yun, he was pitted so miserably by [Sky-Shrouding].
But it doesn't matter. Now that I've used his arrangement to deceive [Sky-Shrouding] and pit that guy in return, it can be considered taking revenge for Hong Yun.
Darkness surged, and a figure slowly emerged.
No physical body, no sea of consciousness—only the purest outline of consciousness and cultivation, transforming into a human shape, sitting steadily in the center of the room.
The [Dao Body] condensed by [The Book of a Hundred Lifetimes]!
This was the thing [Sky-Shrouding] had forgotten. This [Dao Body] had been sent out by him early on, secretly placed inside the [World-Retribution Incarnation].
Relying solely on Hong Yun's arrangement wouldn't actually be enough to deceive the heavens and cross the sea to the point where [Sky-Shrouding] would overlook it. But adding [The Book of a Hundred Lifetimes] makes it different. The [Dao Body] is a product of [The Book of a Hundred Lifetimes], possessing no karma and no cause. Trying to hide it yields twice the result with half the effort!
This was Lu Yang's backup plan, and his only one.
Using the [World-Retribution Incarnation] to escape, then quietly hiding and sealing himself heavily—all to leave himself a glimmer of survival at the critical moment.
I didn't expect to actually use it...
Lu Yang sighed with emotion in his heart. He truly hadn't discovered [Sky-Shrouding]'s setup and was indeed blinded by the [Knowledge-Perception Barrier]. However, he had a good habit.
He knew he wasn't smart enough, often relying on information asymmetry to gain an advantage. He also knew that if it came to scheming, he definitely couldn't out-scheme those true mighty figures. So, ignoring everything else, he prepared for the worst-case scenario directly, giving himself a guaranteed bottom line.
Wasn't the worst result just death?
Then I'll find a way to ensure I won't die. As long as the green hills remain, there's no fear of running out of firewood. At worst, I'll write it down in my little notebook and settle the score in the next life.
Facts proved that doing this was very correct.
Although he hadn't calculated [Sky-Shrouding]'s betrayal, relying on the reserved backup plan, he instead became the ultimate beneficiary of this layout.
As for the death of his Dharma Body, it wasn't a big deal.
As long as his consciousness didn't perish, physical bodies and seas of consciousness were fundamentally external objects. In this life, only the [Dao Body] was his foundation!
Of course, it's true that my current state is very poor. Left with only a [Dao Body], I've returned to my initial state. But the problem isn't big. As long as I make a trip to the [Sea of Bitterness] and absorb the power of the Dharma Body Dao, I should be able to recover. At worst, I'll do another broadcast to the whole world...
Of course, not now.
After all, [Sky-Shrouding] currently wanted to skin him alive. It was best to lay low for now and take inventory of the harvest from this adventure.
Supreme Dao Fruit books... hehehe...
Lu Yang grinned. He could clearly sense that the five books were currently imprinted within his consciousness, just temporarily inaccessible for reading.
This is only because my Dao Heart is perfect that I can bear the "Weight" of five Supreme Dao Fruit books. If it were another cultivator whose Dao Heart wasn't perfect, one or two books would probably be the limit. Even for [Perfected Lord Gangxing Budao], I estimate imprinting one book with his sea of consciousness would be his ceiling.
Of course, even one book was a profit.
Besides that, Perfected Lord Feixue and [Perfected Lord Hanguang Futian] actually didn't lose out, because they had already obtained their benefit: the karmic coordinates of [Nourishing Life Master].
If one had to say who the losers of this battle were, it would be [Sky-Shrouding] and the Old Dragon Lord. [Sky-Shrouding] because he tried to steal a chicken only to lose the rice.
And the reason the Old Dragon Lord was also a loser was because—
He offended me!
Thinking of the Old Dragon Lord's betrayal, Lu Yang gritted his teeth in hatred. The slight goodwill from before was instantly cleared to zero, and a heavy mark was made in his little notebook.
Don't even think about clearing this debt without ten or so lifetimes!
Just wait for me!
It was only because the Old Dragon Lord's cultivation was too high to harvest; otherwise, Lu Yang would have let Chen Xin'an and the Heaven-Mending Peak Master, that father and son duo inside the [Righteous Dao Banner], to have a feast.
After cursing inwardly for a while, Lu Yang restrained his expression and pondered: Although the five Supreme Dao Fruit books are imprinted in my consciousness, I need to enter [Nourishing Life Master] to open and read them. It's inconvenient to look now. I'll go after I wait out this storm and recover to my peak state.
The urgent matter now...
Thinking of this, Lu Yang immediately formed a hand seal. The [Righteous Dao Banner] emerged. As the banner fluttered, rolling black qi supported a tattered figure surfacing from within.
How tattered exactly?
To put it bluntly, he no longer looked human. At most, half a skeleton remained, and even this half-skeleton was covered in fine, dense cracks.
If [Patriarch Nether Whisper] and [Perfected One Vanquishing-Demon] hadn't acted to forcibly maintain this last half-skeleton and stabilize Suo Huan's final trace of vitality, Suo Huan would likely have completely perished, his Grotto-Heaven collapsing, leaving only a Golden Nature soul. That would truly be beyond saving even for immortals.
Seeing this scene, a look of heartache instantly appeared on Lu Yang's face.
"Fellow Daoist Suo Huan!"
With the [Righteous Dao Banner] providing cover, Lu Yang wasn't afraid of leaving traces in the world or being detected. He spoke directly: "Rest assured, I will find a way to save you right now!"